American Jewish Committee and FSM Strengthen Ties

New York, NY (September 28, 2012) - In what has become an annual tradition, a Micronesian delegation led by President Emanuel Mori and a leadership delegation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) met Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Debate. This year President Mori expressed his appreciation for AJC’s friendship and past support, provided updates on past projects, and outlined future challenges. He was accompanied by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert, Ambassador to the United Nations Jane Chigiyal, and Ambassador to the United States Asterio Takesy.

FSM and AJC have a long-standing relationship, and AJC often facilitates events and meetings that strengthen the triangular partnership between FSM, Israel and the United States. Examples of AJC’s support include arranging technical cooperation for the operation of two hemodialysis units in Chuuk and organizing a 2010 trip to Israel by President Mori.

The relationship between FSM and AJC was kindled and has been sustained by shared Judeo-Christian values and tradition. Because FSM is predominately Christian, many citizens develop an interest in Israel stemming from reading about the Holy Land in the Bible. President Mori stated that, for these reasons, a number of Micronesians have expressed a keen interest in visiting Israel themselves. For their part, AJC members display growing knowledge of FSM, and, to further raise awareness, it was proposed by an AJC delegate that a future AJC conference include a discussion of issues related to FSM.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the relationship
between FSM and the United States, including the current five-year
review of the Compact of Free Association. The AJC delegation,
led by Ambassador Aaron Jacob, reassured the President that it is
following the situation with regard to U.S.-FSM relations. Noting
that AJC values its relationship with FSM, Ambassador Jacob
further stated that the organization will continue to track issues
important to FSM, including Compact-related concerns and
technical assistance needs.